Introducing Mercury-free Techniques in Artisanal Gold Mining

在手工金矿开采中引入无汞技术

• 批准号: RGPIN-2015-04526
• 负责人: Veiga, Marcello
• 金额: $ 2.19万
• 依托单位: University of British Columbia
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2019
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2019-01-01 至 2020-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=683497
• 关键词: Introducing; Mercury; free; Techniques; Artisanal

Amalgamation from artisanal gold mining represents today the main source of mercury pollution in the planet releasing/emitting between 1400 and 1600 tonnes/a of metallic mercury. Approximately 16 million individuals, spread over virtually all developing countries, are directly involved in extracting gold using rudimentary techniques. Artisanal miners are currently extracting 300 to 500 tonnes/a of gold worldwide increasing river siltation, mercury pollution, and generating many other environmental, political and social problems. This Discovery Grant proposal is in line with my former grants that has focused on reduction/elimination of mercury pollution from artisanal gold miners worldwide. This proposal has as its main objectives the following steps:***1) Investigation of mercury-free technologies to extract gold using intensive cyanidation or other lixiviants from gravity/flotation concentrates in small ball mills or filtration systems (to speed up the leaching process) ***2) Feasibility study of the alternative methods to be implemented in small scale***3) Demonstrate and replicate the "new" techniques in the Training Centres being installed by UBC in developing countries in partnership with Governments.***The ultimate objective of my work is to transform artisanal-disorganized-illegal miners into small-formal-responsible miners. This proposal is just a piece of this intricate puzzle that involves trust, education, organization, capital and then legalization of the miners. The main stakeholders repository of the findings of the work described in this proposal are the top artisanal miners, owners of processing centres, who have basic knowledge and capital to make changes in the sector.The techniques to extract gold to be demonstrated to artisanal miners must be simple, efficient fast and affordable. The majority (>70%) of the mercury releases/emissions from artisanal gold miners occur when they amalgamate the whole ore. The current proposal intends to promote simple gravity concentration + column flotation techniques followed by leaching of concentrates using ball mills or filtration systems. The proposal has a strong component of field work for training miners, academics and authorities to demonstrate success cleaner methods to leach gold. This will occur using the Training Centres for Artisanal Miners that are being implementing by UBC MINE. The novelty of this proposal is the development of new small-scale gold extraction methods and adaptation of existing industrial techniques for the reality of the artisanal miners.**

手工金矿的汞合并是当今地球上汞污染的主要来源，每年释放/排放1400至1600吨金属汞。分布在几乎所有发展中国家的大约1600万人直接参与使用基本技术提取黄金的工作。目前，世界各地的手工采矿者每年开采300至500吨黄金，这加剧了河流淤积、汞污染，并产生了许多其他环境、政治和社会问题。这个发现基金提案与我以前的资助一致，重点是减少/消除世界各地手工淘金者的汞污染。该建议的主要目标是以下步骤：***1)研究在小型球磨机或过滤系统中使用强化氰化或其他浸出剂从重力/浮选精矿中提取金的无汞技术（以加快浸出过程）***2)对小规模实施的替代方法进行可行性研究***3)在UBC在发展中国家安装的培训中心演示和复制“新”技术与各国政府建立伙伴关系。***我工作的最终目标是将无组织的手工非法矿工转变为有正式责任的小型矿工。这个提议只是这个复杂难题的一小部分，涉及到信任、教育、组织、资本，然后是矿工的合法化。本提案中描述的工作结果的主要利益相关者存储库是顶级手工矿工，加工中心的所有者，他们拥有基本知识和资本，可以在该部门进行变革。向手工矿工展示的提取黄金的技术必须简单、高效、快速和负担得起。大多数（约70%）的汞释放/排放发生在手工淘金者合并整个矿石时。目前的建议是推广简单的重力浓缩+柱浮选技术，然后使用球磨机或过滤系统浸出精矿。该提案有很强的实地工作组成部分，旨在培训矿工、学者和当局，以展示更清洁的方法成功地浸出黄金。这将通过UBC矿业公司正在实施的手工矿工培训中心来实现。这项建议的新颖之处在于开发新的小规模黄金开采方法，并根据手工矿工的实际情况调整现有的工业技术